Power and resistance portrayed in George Orwell’s Animal Farm

ABSTRACT

Sociological literary criticism is a school of literary criticism concerning with analyzing the social context that literature is created in. It consists of social economy, social mobility and behavior, and social politic. Further, by conducting research entitled Power and Resistance Portrayed in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, I intend to identify the mechanisms of power exercised by the major character in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Napoleon, included the forms of resistance emanates from his power relations; both animals and neighboring farms. This research used the conceptualization of power and resistance evolved by Michel Foucault. Although Foucault has idea about modern system of mechanism of power, he does not argue the old-fashioned system of mechanism of power. So the classical power still mentioned in this discussion.

By taking Michel Foucault’s conceptualization of power and resistance, this research is aimed to answer the statement of the problems; (1) what are the forms of Napoleon’s mechanisms of power portrayed in George Orwell’s Animal Farm?; (2) and what are the forms of resistance against Napoleon’s power? Theoretically, this research is expected to give both deep analysis and information about the case of power and resistance described in George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Additionally, it can be a scientific reference for future study in the same field.

Literary criticism is used as the research design. The data are collected from the close reading of George Orwell’s novel entitled Animal Farm. Then it is noted based on focus of sociological literary criticism under Foucault’s conceptualization of power and resistance. The data are analyzed by identifying and proving the quotations agree with Foucault’s conceptualization of power and resistance.

Generally, this research finds that the major character in George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Napoleon, exercised both tyranny and practices of discourse as the mechanisms of power. The two mention before are used to discipline the animals, yet the animals are not happy with his mechanisms of power. They resist against Napoleon power. Moreover, the forms of resistance come from the neighboring farms that hate Napoleon’s power since they want to take back the farm. Animal Farm is recommended to be analyzed for the next researcher who interested in analyzing power because it is full of political play.